Tuesday Senior Bowl Notes

RISERSOT Eric Fisher, Central Michigan (North Team)
After two days of practice, it's clear that Eric Fisher has separated himself as the best prospect in Mobile this week. He hasn't been perfect, but he has won more battles than he's lost, displaying the coordination and feet to hold up in space. Although he will get too tall at times, Fisher has shown better base strength than expected to absorb contact and hold his ground to control blockers, flashing a nasty demeanor as well. He has cemented himself as a top-12 pick, and it isn't a stretch to consider him one of this year's top prospects.

TE Vance McDonald, Rice (South Team)
With Travis Kelce pulling out of the Senior Bowl due to injury, the distinction of top tight end in Mobile is wide open, but Vance McDonald is making a strong case for the spot. He looks the part with broad shoulders, long arms (34.5 inch) and big hands (10 inch) to extend and pluck the ball out of the air. McDonald also looked aggressive during blocking drills, staying balanced through contact and flashing a finishing attitude. He did have some drops on Tuesday when trying to run before securing the grab, but for the most part, McDonald has been impressive this week and is making a strong case to be a top-100 pick in April.

WR Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech (South Team)
Although this year's senior wide receiver group doesn't have a lock first-round talent, Quinton Patton is making a strong case to be considered among the top-32 picks. Thus far at practice, he has looked more impressive than Baylor's Terrance Williams and others with his controlled athleticism to separate and change gears. Patton doesn't have elite size (6-foot, 202) or speed, but he plays fast and balanced with the hands to be a reliable go-to target. He likely won't get out of the top-60 selections.

OT Lane Johnson, Oklahoma (South Team)
There is no question that Eric Fisher has been spectacular thus far, but Lane Johnson has also been impressive and isn't far behind Fisher in the tackle rankings. Lining up at both left and right tackle, he has looked very natural in his kickslide off the snap with a very wide base to cover a lot of ground, not lumbering or struggling to adjust to edge rushers. Johnson has only two years of experience on the offensive line and it shows at times, but his combination of length (35-inch arms), hand strength and movement skills should guarantee him a spot in the top-20 picks, possibly in the top-15.

DE Datone Jones, UCLA (North Team)
After an impressive practice on Monday, Datone Jones kept the momentum going on Tuesday, standing out as one of the best defensive stars on the North squad. He is very strong from head to toe and does a nice job using his powerful arms and hands to rip past blockers. He wasn't overly productive as a pass rusher at UCLA, largely due to the fact that he was moved all over the Bruins' hybrid 3-4 scheme, but he did make 19 tackles for loss as a senior with his impressive blend of burst and power to dispose of blockers at the point of attack. Jones is a name that will start to appear in first-round mock drafts moving forward.

FALLERSC Braxston Cave, Notre Dame (North Team)
This year's crop of centers leaves much to be desired, and the group in Mobile hasn't done much to change that opinion. Braxston Cave was the anchor of Notre Dame's offensive line this past season, but he has struggled to sustain blocks during practice this week, playing tight and lacking the athleticism to recover. He needs to be more aggressive with his hands and stay balanced in his stance to control defenders and not overextend himself.

CB Will Davis, Utah State (North Team)
After a strong senior season, Will Davis created some buzz as a possible early-round draft choice, but so far through two practices, he hasn't lived up to those expectations. He has struggled on an island in man coverage, playing undisciplined and often getting turned around by receivers. Davis has the athleticism and ability to potentially start at the next level, but he needs to do a better job staying balanced to anticipate routes and gain accurate position.

DRAFT NOTES:
-- Syracuse offensive tackle Justin Pugh is an intriguing prospect, but through two practices it has become more evident that his best position is probably inside at guard. He has the mobility and body control to protect the edge, but he has suspect core strength and struggles to properly use his hands to control rushers at the point of attack. Pugh also lacks the length (31.5-inch arms) and growth potential to convince NFL teams he can stay at left tackle.

-- While tight end Vance McDonald has impressed on the South squad, Colorado tight end Nick Kasa has stood out on the North team. A former defensive end, he didn't make the move to offense until late last season, entering the 2012 campaign with just one career catch on his resume. Kasa plays a bit tight and bulky, but he is an intriguing athlete and has really impressed as a blocker this week. He obviously needs some more seasoning, but the tools are there for Kasa to be an interesting developmental draft choice early on the third day.

-- The South team has been mixing and matching their offensive linemen through the first two practices with players like Lane Johnson and Oday Aboushi seeing reps on both the left and right sides. Florida tackle Xavier Nixon also has moved around the offensive line this week, seeing extensive time at left tackle, where he lined up mostly in Gainesville, but also taking reps inside at left guard on Tuesday. He flashed the hand strength to deliver a jolt off the snap and hold his ground, but his best attribute is his feet and athleticism, which makes him a better fit on the outside.

-- Oregon offensive lineman Kyle Long was absent from the South practice on Tuesday due to dehydration, according to his Twitter account. He needed an IV for over an hour and had a tough time keeping food or liquids down, However, he is expected to be back on the practice field on Wednesday.

As the preeminent senior all-star game, the annual Senior Bowl is always entertaining and informative. The 2013 edition could be even more so considering a highly competitive quarterback class and a host of unheralded prospects with the opportunity to stake their claim against the big boys in front of hundreds of NFL talent evaluators.

What to watch
The big storyline this week in Mobile will be the battle between the six quarterbacks. Having attended this all-star game since 2001, this is the most competitive quarterback group I've seen. Arkansas' Tyler Wilson is the best combination of size, arm talent, toughness and experience and is NFLDraftScout.com's No. 3 rated passer, overall. Oklahoma's Landry Jones and North Carolina State's Mike Glennon are strong-armed, pure pocket passers who fit the prototype of first-round passers of the past. They'll be trying to show better-than-anticipated athleticism and poise to prove they fit in equally well in today's frenzied NFL.

The "other" three could be the more interesting evaluations this week.
Florida State's EJ Manuel has an intriguing combination of mobility and arm talent. While he's struggled in Tallahassee, at times, with progressing through his reads before taking off, the 6-4, 240 pound runs like a deer -- an attribute that NFL teams might be appreciating more today than any other year in the past, considering the success of other fleet-footed quarterbacks in 2012.

Syracuse's Ryan Nassib and Miami of Ohio's Zac Dysert haven't generated the same buzz nation-wide as their new teammates but both have shown enough mobility, as well as the arm talent and toughness scouts expect from the position. Each has played well when facing upper-echelon talent over their respective careers.

Elite positions
While the quarterbacks will no doubt get the attention, this year's offensive tackle and safety classes actually boast the highest-rated prospects. Central Michigan's Eric Fisher and Oklahoma's Lane Johnson have been fixtures of Dane Brugler's and my mock drafts for the past several months. This position was fortified with the first juniors in Senior Bowl history with Alabama's DJ Fluker and Syracuse's Justin Pugh. Fluker has since announced he will not play.

The safety crops the past few years have been lacking, so talent evaluators are excited to see these players prove they are as talented as their hype. Southern Cal's T.J. McDonald and Alabama's Robert Lester have received a lot of attention over their illustrious careers, but Georgia's Bacarri Rambo and Fresno State's Phillip Thomas have proven to be more reliable open-field tacklers, intimidating hitters over the middle and certainly better ball-hawks. Each quietly is generating some first-round buzz with scouts.

Breakout stars
In reality every prospect attending the Senior Bowl has the opportunity to boost his draft stock this week with an impressive performance. A few of the players, however, could significantly alter their stock, perhaps moving from the middle rounds right into the top-32 conversation. Think I'm exaggerating? Ask former Boise State defensive end Shea McClellin, whose impressive week in Mobile helped push the Chicago Bears to select him in the first round last April.

The top "breakout" candidates for this year's game appear to be:Robert Alford, CB, Southeastern Louisiana: Scouts been buzzing about Alford, a 6-0, 185-pound corner who moves better than his size would indicate. The Senior Bowl has historically unearthed a number of "diamonds in the rough" in the defensive backfield, so Alford has a strong precedent to follow.

Ziggy Ansah, DE, BYU: The Ghana native has flashed a terrific skill set in Provo, earning comparisons to former South Florida standout Jason Pierre-Paul. The level of competition, of course, will make a big jump in Mobile, especially considering this year's class of pass protectors.

Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado: The 2012 season was one to forget for Colorado fans, but this Buffalo was a relative bright spot. He caught "only" 20 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns as a senior, hardly eye-popping stats, but the former defensive lineman has made consistent strides since making the position change, and he possesses great upside.

The schedule
Each team will practice at Ladd Peebles Stadium in Mobile throughout the week, with the game scheduled for Saturday.
Monday's practices are split because of the weigh-in, which unofficially kicks off the proceedings.

Two year ago Landry Jones was a big Heisman candidate. What happened to him? Is he NFL caliber? If so, should the Jets look to him in the 2nd or 3rd RD?

Coaches saw what happened to him when you blitzed him. Panics,throws off his back foot, into double coverage, becomes inaccurate. Basically,think of him as a taller/less mobile version of Sanchez after being hit... but without the getting hit part, just the "holy crap a defender is four yards near me!" part

Edit: Tyler Wilson has apparently been decent during the practices, but after the measurments and weight ins you have to worry about his hand size (only about 8 1/2 inches)

It's already noted that he has a slight kink in his throwing mechanics so typically his release will be slower than other QB's with a more compact release, so if you couple a slower release with smaller hands all I can think is fumble city at the next level

Coaches saw what happened to him when you blitzed him. Panics,throws off his back foot, into double coverage, becomes inaccurate. Basically,think of him as a taller/less mobile version of Sanchez after being hit... but without the getting hit part, just the "holy crap a defender is four yards near me!" part

Edit: Tyler Wilson has apparently been decent during the practices, but after the measurments and weight ins you have to worry about his hand size (only about 8 1/2 inches)

It's already noted that he has a slight kink in his throwing mechanics so typically his release will be slower than other QB's with a more compact release, so if you couple a slower release with smaller hands all I can think is fumble city at the next level